Friends of Walkden Station Campaigns

Re-introducing Sunday services

In December 2009 FOWS celebrated a major breakthrough on our campaign to re-introduce Sunday services to
the Walkden line. At a meeting of the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority funding for a
one-year trial of Sunday services, to begin in May 2010, was approved. The decision was successful
culmination to several years of planning and commercial negotiations between the Authority and
Northern Rail.

The trial service was launched on May 23rd 2010 and provides an hourly service between Manchester and Wigan, running until
around 6pm in the evening. These trains offer the first passenger service on the Walkden line for over
40 years and are a great boost to the rail users of not just Walkden, but the other major towns
along the route like Swinton and Atherton.

FOWS' campaign for Sunday services has been actively supported by numerous local politicians, in
particular Barbara Keeley MP who has met with Northern Rail and the DfT several times, and Salford
councillors Ian Macdonald and Iain Lindley who have worked determinedly for several years to help
achieve the launch of this service.

(Nov 2017) GMITA subsidised the Sunday service until May 2016 when the service converted to a mandatory requirement of the new Northern franchise. In December 2017
the service will be extended in frequency and hours of operation: a tremendous outcome for our campaign begun in 2007!

Improving Security

The station is only staffed from 0645 to 1400, and used to be an intimidating
place after dark or when fewer passengers are around. In the past vandalism was common with graffiti on the
walls, damage to the flower beds, and theft of the litter bins (pictured) the most usual
casualties.

In September 2010 Northern Rail and Salford City Council's Community Committee for Little Hulton and Walkden agreed
to split the cost of installing CCTV on the platforms
and in the Booking Hall, triggering a dramatic drop in the incidence of anti-social behaviour at the station.

A year later in September 2011 Northern Rail upgraded the 3-camera system with an extra 6 cameras, improving passenger security at the station even further.

Car park facilities

Parking for passengers is very limited with nearby Park Road suffering
the worst congestion. Considering the station's large catchment area (which
includes Walkden, Worsley, Boothstown, Little Hulton and Astley, amongst
other areas), the demand for a station car park is obvious.

(Nov 2017) In 2016, following a campaign by FoWS and local councillors, Salford City Council agreed to provide land from the former council depot on Chestnut Avenue
to TfGM for development as a station car park. Detail plans are currently being drawn up by TfGM including 107 spaces and bicycle parking, but the project is
awaiting funding to be identified.

Pedestrian safety

Walkden Road runs immediately past the station entrance and is very busy
during the rush hours. Crossing the road can be time-consuming and dangerous
for passengers as drivers show little inclination to stop where there is no
marked road-crossing or warning signs. The overhead bridges make the area outside the entrance
gloomy and add to the dangerous situation.

In February 2008 FOWS engaged with Salford City Council and the local Walkden Road Traders Group to devise
solutions for the safety, parking and congestion problems around the station.

(8 Aug 2008) Discussions with Salford City Council started well and in spring 2008 they conducted a survey of
passengers crossing the road outside the station. Although the survey showed many people crossing outside the
station, the planners concluded that installing a crossing to assist them would cause too much disruption to
road traffic. We are sceptical that the planners will make any road traffic management changes to
benefit pedestrians and rail travellers if there is any possible disadvantage to car drivers.

(May 2009) Salford City Council have completed some improvement work on the roads outside the station, laying
a new surface and installing new bollards and fences. However, FOWS' top priorities - a pedestrian crossing,
improved lighting under the bridge, signs to warn drivers of pedestrians crossing the road - have not been met.

Improved connections

For passengers from Walkden travelling to Manchester Piccadilly or the
airport, connection times at Salford Crescent vary widely. For trains leaving
Walkden at around half-past the hour, the wait is usually 20 minutes or more.

FOWS have lobbied Northern Rail for better connections
to the south of the city for all trains from Walkden.

FOWS have contacted Network Rail regarding signalling arrangements at Salford Crescent, suggesting a
change that might allow some Victoria and Piccadilly bound trains to call at Salford
Crescent simultaneously and thereby offer better connections for passengers on both services.

In spring 2008 FOWS sent a list of suggestions
(download as a PDF) to Northern Rail for
relatively cheap and easily achieved "tweaks" to the timetable that could be a huge difference to the quality of
service from the station. Unfortunately all the ideas where rejected for reasons ranging from timetabling difficulty
to the fear of confusing passengers with a choice of direct service destinations !

FOWS proposals to improve evening connections at Manchester Victoria were adopted by Northern Rail from December 2012, but
further suggestions for changes to improve connectivity from Walkden to Piccadilly and the Airport are still under consideration.

Station Improvements

The entrance hall and platforms at Walkden could be enhanced by measures
such as repainting and decorating, removal of lineside litter, and the
installation of facilities like bike lockers and more litter bins.

As the picture shows, trackside litter, peeling paintwork and overgrown tracks give a general feeling of
scruffiness to the station environment. The staff at Walkden do a fantastic job of cleaning up litter every day,
but these are problems in areas where the staff are not allowed to go.

Since 2007 GMPTE have been working towards the installation of bike lockers.

(10 Dec 2007) FOWS have renovated and planted up flower beds on both platforms, and are pursuing more funding to
install planters and baskets on the open areas of the platform.

(30 May 2008) FOWS have used a grant from Salford City Council's "In Bloom" fund to install three large
planters on the open area of platform between the canopy and wooden fence. The planters have been built by J. Hughes of Monton
and planted up with materials from Linnyshaw Garden Centre.

(Oct 2008) FOWS continue to clean the station at weekends and have recently replanted the Manchester flower bed with
winter colour. We also offered to repaint the dirty walls in the station entrance hall and stairways, but were not
granted approval by Northern Rail.

(Dec 2008) FOWS secured a second In Bloom grant from Salford City Council. The money was used to install two new steel planters
at the east (Swinton) end of the platform, install a new flower bed at the west (Atherton) end, refresh the flower beds on both
platforms, and provide winter
wreaths for the nearby Walkden Road Traders in order to improve the environment in and around
the station.

(Nov 2009) Network Rail complete extensive repairs to the entire length of roof from the street entrance, through the
Booking Hall, Ticket Office and associated rooms, and up the steps to the platform.
The stairway and booking hall walls
have also been repainted during as part of the project.

(Dec 2009) GMPTE installed a station tannoy.

(May 2010) Northern Rail installed anti-pigeon netting in the station canopy and completed a range of other improvements
to coincide with the Sunday Service launch gala. These included deep cleaning, repainting, and installing new panels in the
platform shelter.

(Sept. 2010) After a summer of thefts and vandalism Northern Rail, with joint funding from the Little Hulton and Walkden
Community Committee, installed CCTV on the platforms and in the Booking Hall.

(March 2011) A Northern Rail grant is used by FOWS to plant the station borders and planters with spring colour.

Disabled Access

One of the most common complaints made to FOWS is that the 48 steps in the station entrance make it completely inaccessible
to wheelchair users - and difficult to access for anyone with restricted mobility or indeed just travelling with a pushchair or pram.

Walkden station can only be accessed by climbing two sets of stairs from street level,
rendering it practically inaccessible for many disabled people. Northern's Making Rail Accessible
describes a number of forms of assistance that may be requested, including provision of a taxi to convey disabled passengers to or from the nearest accessible
station (Atherton) or an intermediate point as required by the passenger. However, FOWS believe that Walkden
station should be accessible to all passengers who wish to use it and would like lifts or ramps installed such as
those at stations along the Piccadilly-Manchester Airport line.

(Nov 2017) FoWS have been working closely with TfGM to secure Walkden's position at the top of TfGM's priority list, and plans to install a lift from street level have
been drawn up. However, funding for the project has not yet been secured and the next tranch of government Access For All grants is eagerly awaited.